This monumental and heavy mace-head is of an exceptional size and probably belonged to a royal or noble personage. The symbolically powerful figures of the lions are strongly executed and carved in deep relief so that the heads of the lions are almost in the round. The style of these rampant lions can be compared to scenes of combat on Sumerian Early Dynastic cylinder seals of a similar date. A more schematically rendered mace-head in the Louvre, Paris, is inscribed for Mesilim, King of Kish, and comes from Lagash; it is dated to circa 2600 B.C. and was dedicated to the god, Ningirsu. See, also, a stone mace-head decorated with lions from Sippar, circa 2500 B.C. in the British Museum (WA.92681).

Of similar form are the early 3rd millennium B.C. ritual stone vases, some decorated with lions or lions attacking prey. Carved in a close style to the above mace-head is a stone jar in the British Museum with frieze of animals, dated to circa 3300-3000 B.C. (WA.128886)

Cf. C. J. du Ry, Art of the Ancient Near and Middle East, New York, 1969, pp. 49-50; A. Parrot, Sumer, London, 1960. pp. 130-131, figs. 159-160 for the mace-head of King Mesilim